District staff walk board through state Aquest changes and warn small shifts can change school ratings

Teaching-and-learning staff briefed the board on the state's classification system, Aquest (Accountability for a Quality Education System Today and Tomorrow), explaining how school and district classifications are calculated and outlining planned changes to the state index.

The presentation traced Aquest to 2014 legislative bill 438 and described the two-step classification process: a status based on proficiency in math and English language arts and potential adjustments (a possible "plus 1" bump) for educational opportunities/access and student growth/achievement. Presenters noted that the status number is drawn from once‑a‑year state assessments — NSCAS in grades 3–8 and the ACT for high‑school juniors.

Using example school data, staff showed how a school with a 57.95% proficiency rate fell in the "3" (great) band and, because of strong student-growth metrics (87.18% year-to-year growth for one cohort), earned a plus-one adjustment and reached a final classification of "4" (excellent).

The presenters also highlighted chronic absenteeism as a separate component. They said the state sets a baseline (2021–22) and asks schools to achieve a 5% reduction per year; one example school rose from 3.73% to 10.65% chronic absenteeism in 2022–23 and missed an attendance-related adjustment. "Small changes both in and out of the control of the school can lead to large changes in your classification," staff said, showing one case where a school's classification moved from 4 to 2 year to year primarily because of a few percentage-point shifts.

Staff discussed planned revisions at the Nebraska Department of Education: moving from the current status-plus-adjustment model to a weighted index that would incorporate more indicators, reduce dramatic year-to-year swings and make classifications more useful for continuous improvement. The timeline the presenter provided noted a July 2025 draft release, public scores under the current system in November 2025, internal testing with the new index in January–February 2026 and state implementation in the 2026–27 school year if the pilot is adopted.

Board members asked about the sources of the data and whether funding is tied to Aquest; staff said the classifications are for accountability and continuous-improvement purposes and not directly the basis for general funding. Board members also raised teacher concerns about "teaching to the test" since Aquest classifications rely heavily on one annual assessment.

No formal action was taken; staff said principals and building teams will use the data to set instructional strategies and monitor progress before the spring testing window.